


Eighteen: Right About Now

by hollsteinhasruinedme



Series: The Sixteen [5]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Brief drug use, F/F, M/M, Other, so JP huh ;)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 02:46:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4330872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollsteinhasruinedme/pseuds/hollsteinhasruinedme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura Hollis always thought that spiders, centipedes, drowning, being shot, staying in her home town and losing her best friends were her biggest fears. Turns out that starting College ends up at the top of the list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eighteen: Right About Now

**Author's Note:**

> so yes sorry it took longer than usual but here's part 5 :-)

I always thought that spiders, centipedes, drowning, being shot, staying in Iowa and losing my best friends were my biggest fears.

Turns out that getting ready for college is my number one.

I mean… school _actually_ starts in two weeks.

Like...I’m not ready for that!?

“Cupcake…”

What if I fail my first semester?

What if we can’t make rent for our apartment?

“Cutie…?”

Crap. What if our _apartment_ catches _fire_?

Oh god, what if _I catch fire_?

_“Laura!”_

I snap my head up and take a deep breath. Carmilla, Danny, Will and Kirsch are staring at me. I give them a sheepish smile. “Um…”

“Dude… like, are you okay?”

I shake my head. “Uh… yeah, sorry guys I just…”

Carmilla walks over and sits next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders. “You just what? ‘Cause it looked like you were having a heart attack.”

I make a face. “Was it that bad?”

I look up and Danny’s nodding, Kirsch is shrugging and even Danny’s cat is looking at me weirdly.

Man… I really need to stop freaking out. “Guys… what if something bad happens to us? Or… what if something happens to just me? I can’t -”

Carmilla laughs and pulls me into her, giving me a lingering kiss on my temple. “Yeah, like I would let _that_ happen.”

I huff and she sighs.

“Look, Hollis… we’re here, nothing bad is going to happen,” Danny says, throwing a cheese square at my head.

Flicking it off my lap, I sigh. “Yeah… I guess you’re right. I’m just… nervous. For college and rent and stuff.”

“Uh, cutie? I have a job, you have a job and Kirsch has a job. Plus we’re all rich as fuck, yeah? So… I’m pretty sure money is the last thing you have to worry about.”

...I really hope that’s true.

**_7:23 pm_ **

So, turns out that Will really did get accepted into NYU. Which… is totally awesome, and I’m super happy for him, it’s just that… I’m gonna miss him. He was kind of like my older brother, I guess you could say. I just really don’t want him to leave.

I can’t even imagine how Carm and Kirsch feel.

I mean, they must feel _pretty_ bad considering the four of us are on a double date, and while Will went up to go to the bathroom, Kirsch is currently, practically crying into his mashed potatoes.

“Come on, buddy…” Carmilla says, reaching over the table, grabbing a fistful of his hair and pulling his face back up.

It’s not like he planned to land in his mashed potatoes… it’s just, he started crying, and sometimes he kind of loses it when he cries. So… I guess he just wanted to put his head down on the table, but his plate was... in the way.

I hand him a napkin and he wipes his face off. “My uh… my plate was in the way.”

I give him a sad smile. “I can see that.”

Carmilla lets out a sigh. “I’m gonna miss him too, Kirsch.”

He sighs too. “Dude… I know. I’m sorry it’s just… I have to tell you guys som -”

“Did I miss anything?”

All of us look up at Will and he frowns.

“Dudes… what?”

“Nothing.”

“...right.”

**_8:07 pm_ **

So… yeah.

We got kicked out of that restaurant.

Because apparently, spitting peas at each other through a straw is ‘immature and impolite’ But… it’s not like it was my fault. “Kirsch, you started it.”  

He glowers at Carmila. “Bullshit Carm, you’re the one who started it! You nailed me right in my eye, man. Not cool. Not cool at all bro.”

“Okay... _no_. I wasn’t trying to hit you in the eye, alright?”

“Mhm… I’m sure of it.”

**_8:31 pm_ **

“I get to keep your car, you know.”

Will smiles. “Yeah, take care of her, will you?”

“Eh,” she shrugs, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

He laughs. “Alright, then take care of _her_ ,” he says, gesturing towards me. I blush and she smiles.

“That, I can do.”

I smile and she entwines our hands. “Good to know.”

“You guys ready for the best party of your lives?”

The correct answer that all of us are thinking?

_Absolutely not._

The answer we give?

“Hell yeah.”

**_9:12 pm_ **

So, I guess it’s true. This really is the best party of my life. I mean, Danny and Kirsch are actually getting along, Will’s not chugging down every single drink he sees, LaFontaine and Perry are sitting on the couch being cute as frick, and then there’s Carmilla; who looks like a goddess. I mean, she’s wearing black ripped skinny jeans, a black shirt and she has her black, red and grey flannel tied around her waist. She looks…

“Wow.”

Carm takes a sip of her drink and smirks at me. I blush. “That’s the fourth time you’ve said that tonight, cupcake. I mean,” she shrugs, “I know I look good, but if what I’m wearing is a distraction I can always…” she trails off and I furrow my brow.

“You can always what…?”

She chuckles, circling the rim of her cup with a finger. “I could always... _take it off_.”

Well…

_Frick._

That damn… _voice._

I think she’s actually going to be the death of me. “Carmilla…”

She sighs and shakes her head. “Right, sorry. Less flirting more… romanticizing? Is that right?”

I shake my head. “I don’t mind you flirting it’s just… sometimes it makes me… well, you know, really fru -”

_“Where’s Laura and Karnstein?”_

I groan.

Can I seriously not finish a sentence around here? “Dude, shut up, we’re busy!”

I turn around and Malorie pops her head out from around the corner, before fully stepping into the kitchen. “What did I say about you calling me ‘dude’?”

Carmilla pinches the bridge of her nose. “Right, sorry,” she says.

Malorie smiles a little. “It’s fine, but uh… I was just wondering if you guys wanted to come watch Danny and Kirsch try to set off roman candles in their hands?”

My mouth drops open and I look at Carmilla.

_“Duh!”_

**_10:00 pm_ **

You know what went really well?

...Kirsch and Danny setting off roman candles in their hands.

You know what _didn’t_ go very well?

...me trying to ask Carmilla to be my girlfriend.

I mean, that’s reasonable right? We’ve been dating for almost a month, so technically we should be girlfriends by now, right? It’s not like we don’t know enough about each other, or that we don’t trust -

...okay, well.

It’s not that I don’t trust her, I pretty much know that she wouldn’t hurt me again, it’s just… the uncertainty is getting to me, you know? I wish I could ignore it like I tried to do during senior year, but it still kind of makes me think ‘what if’.

Because, I thought she wasn’t going to hurt me the first time. I mean, that was completely a holy-crap-things-aren’t-as-peachy-as-I-thought moment.

It sucked, yeah… but everyone deserves a second chance. And… technically, we weren’t really girlfriends when she kissed Ell, so really she didn’t _cheat_ cheat on me, but those technicalities don’t mean that it didn’t suck.

Anyways, what I was trying to say is that… I tried to ask Carm to be my girlfriend three times tonight. All of which ended up like this:

_“...hey Carmilla?”_

__

_She looks up from her drink and gives me a half smile. “What’s up, cutie?”_

__

_I clear my throat. “Well… we’ve been dating for a while and -”_

__

_“Oh for the love of God! I may not be a short tempered person, but Jesus Christ I will not stand for anymore of this.” Perry huffs. “Wilson Brody Kirsch, if you so much as unzip that zipper on your pants, you will no longer need to do so for the rest of your life because I will cut your Goddamn penis off!”_

__

Or this:

_I tap my fingers harshly against the sides of my cup, until I literally can’t take it anymore. I set my drink on the counter, walk over to the couch, grab Carmilla’s arm and drag her outside. Kirsch, Will and some of their football bros are playing catch, but I ignore them. “Carm, I really need to ask you something.”_

__

_She takes a drink slowly and nods, pulling her drink down from her mouth and smirking intently at me. “Go ahead, cutie. No one’s stopping you.”_

__

_I nod sharply. “Okay, so, like I tried to say earlier… we’ve been dating for a while and -”_

__

_“Hey Laura! Catch!”_

__

_...And then a football nails me in my left tittie._

Or, eventually, this:

_We’re standing outside, next to the swimming pool, which everyone got out of an hour ago, so maybe this time I can have some freaking time to talk without getting -_

__

_“Hey guys! We’re playing a game of hide and go seek tag so… did you guys want to…?”_

__

_Nevermind._

__

_I shake my head. “Sorry, Malorie, maybe later?”_

__

_She looks at Carmilla and smirks before looking back at me and nodding. “Sure, Laura. See you two later.”_

__

_She leaves and I turn towards Carm, who is looking at me expectantly. “You wanna ask me something?”_

_I nod my head, clasping my hands in front of me and pressing them into my thighs. “Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to -”_

__

_“Ha! I can totally outrun you, you big… fucking -”_

__

_All I see is a flash of orange, and then I’m surrounded by lukewarm water._

__

_I come back up to the surface to see Carmilla looking worried but obviously trying to hide her laughter, Kirsch looking like a friend of someone who just got chewed out, and then Danny, the reason I’m even in this stupid pool right now, looking about as guilty as a child getting caught stealing. “Laura! Are you okay?! I’m so -”_

__

_I scream and tear my way out of the pool and chase after her._

__

I mean… really? Does the universe not want Carmilla Karnstein to be my girlfriend or something? Because at this point, which is ridiculous, it totally seems like some distant, foreign freaking deity some or other bullshit definitely doesn’t want us together. I mean, getting slammed in the left boob _and_ being violently launched into a pool?

 

_Seriously?!_

What even is my luck…?

“Uh, not that I don’t think it’s adorable and all… but you look pretty angry. You okay?”

Oh, totally. I just tried to ask the girl I’m in love with to be my girlfriend, but _nooooo_ , I didn’t get an answer. All I got was a tit shot and soaking wet underwear. And no, not the kind of soaking wet underwear that I want. “Not really,” I mutter, pushing my cheeks up with the palms of my hands. “I just… I really wanted to ask you something, but every time something interrupts me.”

She laughs and takes my hand while she stands up. She tugs on my hand when I don’t stand. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re going to have to get off your ass, Hollis.”

I groan, but stand up, letting her lead me to… well…

To where is actually the thing in question at the moment. “Where are we going?”

She looks back and smirks at me. “We’re going to the balcony.”

Oh.

I mean, it shouldn’t surprise me. Out of all the times I’ve been to Carm’s house, I’ve been to her balcony at least twice as much.

We make the trudge up the stairs, down the hallway and to a locked door. Which, happens to be her room because yeah… Carmilla’s older so she totally gets the room with the balcony. She pulls out the key from the back of her black skinny jeans and twists it in the lock, pushing the door open.

She grabs my hand and we jog through her room and out onto the balcony. She shuts the doors, and thank god for the party being on the other side of the house because yay, some peace and freaking quiet.

We’re leaning against the glass door, our hands resting entwined together against the glass as well. “So, if I’m not mistaken, you wanted to ask me something?”

I nod and push myself off of the door and move in front of her, taking her other hand in mine and lightly swinging them, looking at the floor. “Um, yeah. So uh… I was wondering if you maybe wanted to…” I clear my throat and finally look up at her.

I take a sharp intake of breath because _wow_ , her eyes are beautiful.

“...will you be my girlfriend?”

She closes her eyes and laughs while shaking her head. “I honestly thought you’d never ask.”

I grin and lean up to kiss her but I stop to frown. “Wait… what do you mean?”

“I was waiting for you to ask me for the past almost two weeks, cutie.”

I frown. “How come you didn’t just ask me then?”

She gives me a soft and almost shy smile. “Well… ‘cause you said you wanted to take things slow, so this is all on your terms, Laura. I just… I don’t want to mess this up again.”

“Hey…” I squeeze her hands. “You’re not going to mess anything up, okay? And this relationship doesn’t just have to be on my terms, because you’re part of it too, you know. You’re incredibly sweet, Carmilla Karnstein, and I just want you to know that.”

She brings her eyes back to mine and smiles. “I’m not that sweet.”

“Yeah you are.”

She frowns. “I am not.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, you totally are.”

And she looks like she’s about to say something smart, so before she can…

I kiss her.

**_The next morning…_ **

_“Carmilla! Laura!”_

Carmilla groans next to me and I chuckle.

_“If you don’t hurry up and get ready, we can’t pick up Jay!”_

__

I basically throw her out of bed.

**_9:41 am_ **

So yeah, we’re in this huge white van right now, equipped for fourteen people, which actually just _barely_ comfortably accommodates the fourteen of us.

My Dad’s driving with Mama Kirsch in the passenger seat, John, Jamie, Malorie and Danny in the first row, Perry, LaF, Mrs. Karnstein and Will in the second row, and Carmilla, Jay, Kirsch and I in the back row.

It’s honestly such a tight fit that I’m starting to feel a little claustrophobic. But… I guess I can’t really complain because, even if I feel like I can barely breathe, Carmilla resting her head on my shoulder and mumbling inaudible words while trying to keep her coffee from spilling?

Totally worth it.

I take a deep breath, a smile on my face and,

Wait.

I take a deeper sniff and regret it immediately. “Who farted?!”

“Aw, hell no!”

“Language!”

“The fuck Perry, was that you?”

She scoffs. “I will have you know it was most certainly _not_ me.”

I gag, but nudge Carmilla off my shoulder. She sits up and gives me a weird look. “Do you smell popcorn?” I ask, trying to suppress my laughter.

She takes a deep inhale and then her face twists. She grabs the collar of her shirt and brings it over her nose, and then she sets her coffee in the cupholder beside me and pushes me. “Laura, you little rude fuckin’ nasty ass -”

I laugh and she laughs too.

_“Language!”_ My Dad and Perry yell.

And then I hear it. Another loud whoopee cushion sound.  

_Oh my god that smells._

“What the ever living _fuck_?”

“Kirsch what did you eat?”

“It wasn’t me! I swear!”

My Dad makes a gagging noise. “Oh, Christ you guys, really? That’s disgusting.”

“Jack it was probably you!”

“Like _hell_ it was, Cathy!”

I groan. “Dad! Language!”

And oh my god, there must have been a silent but deadly one because it just smells _so freaking terrible in here._

“Okay, whoever is farting can get the fuck out right now.”

Mrs. K turns to her son. “William George Karnstein, there are children in this vehicle.”

“Dude seriously! I’m going to _die_ ,” Carm gasps, coughing into her sleeve. “You guys are all savages I swear to god.”

By this point, I’ve opened up Carmilla’s coffee cup just to breathe in the nasty smell of her black coffee, but hey… anything beats the smell of farts.

“It smells like _wet ass_ in here like... are you guys okay?!”

“Yes! We’re aware of the fact that it smells like... _that_ in here, LaFontaine.”

“I’m gonna throw up,” Jay mutters, clasping his hands over his nose. “What is wrong with you people?”

“The question of the century, isn’t it, kid?”

**_10:28 am_ **

So okay, maybe Will’s check in at the airport took a lot less time than I originally thought. And, okay… maybe I’m crying a little bit. “Aw, come on Laur,” he says playfully, punching me in the shoulder. “Don’t cry, ‘cause then…” he sniffles, throws his hands in the air and chuckles, “... too late.”

He pulls me into a hug and I bury my face in his shoulder.

I really am gonna miss him…

He pulls back and smiles sadly at me before he takes a few steps to the side to look down at Carmilla. “Kitty,” he states.

“Momma’s boy,” she quips.

And then they’re crushing each other in a hug and it makes my heart clench in my chest. We all knew he was going to get accepted into NYU, I guess we just didn’t want to believe it. But, no, we totally should have because this kid is too smart and too athletic for his own good. I mean, have you seen that kid play soccer? He’s gotta be better than half of the idiots that are in professional sports, that’s for sure.

“Alright, you all gonna keep it together while I’m gone or what?”

We all chuckle and then plunge into a fourteen person group hug, which is totally as epic as it sounds.

“I can’t… breathe…”

Yeah well, neither can I.

We only squeeze tighter.

**_11:54 am_ **

By the time we get back, LaF is sleeping on Perry, Perry is sleeping on Mrs. Karnstein, Mrs Karnstein is sleeping against her seatbelt, John is sleeping on Danny, Danny is drooling on Malorie, Malorie’s sleeping on Jamie, Jamie’s sleeping on the window, Carmilla is sleeping on Kirsch, Kirsch is sleeping on Jay, and Jay is giving me a pleading look. “Get him off of me,” he mouths.

**  
**  


I chuckle.

“Looks like we got some tired little children,” my Dad says with a laugh. I look at him and he gives me a smirk. I nod and look over at Jay.

“Get out… carefully, don’t wake them up,” I say, motioning to the sleeping pair. He nods and unbuckles his seatbelt, carefully grabbing Kirsch’s head and leaning it against the armrest. Mama Kirsch, Jay, my Dad and I all file out.

“Ready?” he asks and I laugh.

“So ready.”

“Ready for what?” Jay gives me a look and I pat him on the back.

“Just watch, buddy.”

My Dad opens the driver side door and reaches his hand in, turning the music up to full volume before slamming the door shut.

And you want to know what’s more hilarious than hearing a loud muffled version of _Cool Kids_ by _Echosmith_ come from a white van?

...watching nine adults rip the doors of a van open while simultaneously clobbering over each other and landing in a face full of dirt.

Now _that’s_ hilarious.

The four of us are dying laughing, and it would honestly be even _more_ funny, but the looks they give us when they stand up and dust themselves off?

...not so funny.

“Shouldn’t we be running?” Jay asks quietly.

Mrs. Karnstein takes off her heels. “You most definitely should be.”

 

Yep.

 

We run.

**_1:02 pm_ **

 

After getting charged with damage to the speakers of the van we rented from Enterprise, my Dad’s kind of been sulking around for the past two hours.

Hence why we’re at Walmart right now.

You wouldn’t believe how much my Dad loves Walmart.

...literally everything we buy is from Walmart.

He knows and is friends with the managers at both Walmarts in town.

“What do you want Mr. Hollis? I’ll buy you something,” Jay says, smiling up at my Dad.

I grip onto Carmilla’s arm and lean my head on her shoulder.

I love that kid.

My Dad smiles back. “Kiddo, that’s really nice of you, but… wait, where’d you get money?”

“Oh!” He goes into his pocket (pulls out a tiny necklace locket)

I laugh to myself.

...Eminem reference, anyone?

...No?

Okay then.

_Anyways_ , he goes into his pocket and pulls out a horribly stitched together wallet made out of fabric. He places it in my Dad’s hand and he opens it, his mouth agape.

“Jackson Potter where did you get two hundred and twenty dollars?!”

...His name’s Jackson?

Wait.

Did my Dad just say… two _hundred_ and twenty _dollars_? “Your name’s Jackson?” Carm asks, tilting her head to the side quizzically.

He frowns a little. “Well… _yeah_ , but I don’t like that name.”

My Dad shakes his head. “Okay, who cares what his name is?” he turns to Jay. “Where did you get this money?”

Carmilla takes a step closer. “Um, Mr. Hollis I don’t think it really matters where he -”

“Carm gave it to me!” he says, a bright smile on his face. “She worked a few extra shifts and then gave the money to me as a late birthday present.”

_Oh. My. God._

Carmilla _worked_ extra hours and then just _gave away_ her _money_? “Who are you?”

“Apparently an idiot,” she mumbles. “Jay, I told you not to tell anyone!”

He makes a face. “Why? So people don’t know that you’re actually a huge cuddly, nice teddy bear?”

She growls and I step in front of her. “Carmilla…” I warn.

She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “Yeah, yeah, be nice… I know. Sorry, cupcake.”

Someone fake coughs. _“Whipped!”_

I look up in time to see Danny and Kirsch hiding behind a rack of clothes before they duck down again as Carmilla whips (pun totally intended) her head around. “Who the f -”

I slap her arm. “No swearing!”

“Ugh, what _ever_ ,” she whines.

And then she walks off in the direction of the game consoles. Mrs. Karnstein, John and Mama Kirsch walk up to my Dad. “Jack… how bad of an idea is it to let nine teenagers run loose in a Walmart?”

He shrugs. “Probably a really bad idea.”

Yeah, he’s probably right.

“I’m gonna go find Carmilla, Jay, you wanna come with?”

He smiles and shoves his wallet into his pair of jeans that might be a little big on him. We walk down the main section of the store by the checkouts, and then take a right following the floor pattern to the electronic section. I don’t see her, so I pull out my phone to shoot her a text.

_Where’d you go? :c_

__

I get a response literally ten seconds later.

_find me, babe._

I sigh as I text back.

_Carm come on, i dont have time for this_

I can basically hear the smirk in her text:

_i wasn’t aware we had such a tight schedule, sweetheart._

I roll my eyes.

_When I find you, I’m choking the smug right out of you I stg_

She doesn’t text back and I roll my eyes. “Hey Laur?”

I look at him. “What’s up?”

“...do you have games on your phone?”

I chuckle and slide the phone out the pocket of my shorts, type in my password and hand my phone to him.

We walk around aimlessly, trying to find Carmilla, but we decide to take a break from walking around and sit on a pile of boxes of Pampers diapers. “Uh… Carm texted you back.”

He hands the phone over to me awkwardly and I frown and open the text.

_good. choke me. i like it ;)_

_“Fuck…”_ I basically whine.

Does she not understand how sexually frustrated she makes me when she just _looks_ at me? I honestly can’t take this right now. “What was that?” Jay asks smugly. “Little miss ‘no swearing’?”

I roll my eyes, stand up and ruffle his hair, well... as much as I can anyway. “Come on, we’re gonna go find her.”

“Ew, so I can watch you guys swallow each other? No thanks.”

I glare at him. “You know, you’re pretty sarcastic for a twelve year old.”

He shrugs. “Can I go find LaF and Perry? ‘Cause I really want to show them som -”

_“Cleanup in the toy section, please.”_

I chuckle, pointing to the intercom. “Found them.”

He frowns. “How do you know it isn’t Wilson and Danny?”

“Because they would be in the -”

_“Cleanup in the sports section, please.”_

I shrug and smirk at Jay, my point proven.

Just then, Malorie and Jamie come running up to us. “Laura! Jesus fucking Christ, we’ve been looking _everywhere_ for you.”

Malorie nods. “Yeah, they’re having a Harry Potter sale, merch stuff mostly, but yeah. Come on!”

I whine. “Guys I totally want to but I have to find Carmilla.”

They look at each other and laugh. “Laura, you’re an idiot, she’s literally been following you around for the past twenty minutes.”

I frown and look behind me. Lo and behold, there’s Carmilla, her phone in one hand and a Gryffindor scarf in the other.

It’s kind of hard to be mad at someone who gets you Harry Potter merchandise. She walks over and smiles sarcastically at me. “Sup, cutie?”

“You were following me?”

She nods. “Yeah, until these two,” she motions towards Jamie and Malorie, “told me about the Harry Potter stuff and I was like ‘shit, cupcake’s gonna be pretty pissed if she doesn’t get something’, so I grabbed this ugly ass scarf for you.”  

I rip it out of her hands and hug it to my chest. “This scarf is _not_ ugly!”

Carmilla turns to Jay. “It’s ugly isn’t it?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, sorry Laur.”

“Whatever,” I grumble. “Let’s just go get our friends before they start a nuclear war with glow in the dark silly putty and toothpaste.”

**_2:00 pm_ **

Okay so, we didn’t start a nuclear war with glow in the dark silly putty and toothpaste, but apparently Walmart just got in a new shipment of foam swords so… yes.  The thirteen of us are currently in battle.

Trust me, it took hella convincing, especially on my part to get the rest of the adults to join the game. Currently, it’s Malorie, Carmilla, Jay, Mama Kirsch, my Dad, LaF and I on one team. _The Crusaders_

And it’s Danny, Kirsch, Perry, John, Jamie and Mrs. K on the other team. _The Crusaders Suck_

I mean, I guess that’s what we get for choosing our name first.

Anyways, rules of the game are simple. You get stabbed with a sword?

You’re out.

Last man standing wins for their team.

Also, last man standing gets to choose whatever they want to buy, and everyone has to pay for it.

We’re all in the second main walkway towards the back of the store, facing the other team, war paint on our faces and swords raised. “Let there be war!”

They charge at us and we scatter into the nearest section of clothes.

The best thing about this is that everyone at Walmart literally does not care.

Kirsch, Will, Carm and I used to come here when we were high and use those electronic chair things and have races throughout the store. And this was all at midnight.

They get paid, so they just don’t care. And it’s _awesome._

I’m currently running through the Men’s section when I run into someone. I almost scream, but they cover my mouth. I open my eyes and sigh.

“Carmilla,” I mumble against her hand. She moves it down to her side. “The frick did you do that for? Your hand tastes like candles.”

She chuckles. “Then why’d you lick it?”

I glare at her. “Whatever,” I mutter. “Let’s go find Kirsch, I wanna get him out!”

“I’m with you on that, babe, but he probably has the same plan.”

I frown and glance over the top of a clothes rack. It’s not like we’re out in the open, we’re stuck in the middle of a maze of Men’s, Women’s and Children’s clothing. We’re pretty protected.

_“Ha! Goteem!”_

_“Stop saying that!”_

Well, Kirsch just got his Mom out.

The worst thing to worry about is that he’s literally right across the wooden clothing holder. We’re separated by a cheap piece of fake wood.

Carmilla points a finger over my head, I look back, then back again and nod at her.

You know how when you’re trying to be quiet everything seems loud? Yeah, well, I didn’t notice how heavy Carmilla’s boots were. “Dude! You’re going to give us away.”

Wait.

...did I just?

“Did you just call me ‘dude’?”

I blush scarlet, shake my head and grab her hand, pulling her through a few aisles and eventually making it back to the warehouse section. Which is all decked out for Halloween.

Totally freakin’ awesome.

“Cupcake, come on I have a plan.”

We duck into an aisle and she pulls out her iPhone, goes through her apps and clicks on the SketchPad one.

“What are you…?”

“Shh!”

I huff.

I look over her shoulder and see…

Shit, she’s taking this really seriously. She drew out a freaking _blueprint_ of _Walmart_.

“Okay, so we know Danny’s probably hiding in the ball thing, Kirsch is definitely running around aimlessly, my Mom is probably in the baby section, but John and Jamie? We don’t have to worry about them. I’m more worried about Perry.”

Okay, as weird as it sounds… Perry is a freakin’ savage. This is not the first time we’ve played this game and it would not be the first time Perry’s won. She even threw Carmilla under the bus one time to win. And she was on her team.

I take my eyes off the phone for a second to look ahead of us and I nearly fall over.

It’s Perry, with her back to us, slowly creeping towards the other side of the warehouse.

I tap Carmilla on the shoulder, and when she goes to say something, I quickly cover her mouth with my hand. She glares at me and I just point over her shoulder.

We slowly stand up and walk backwards… just enough to be able to creep around the corner and make a run for it.

Which probably wasn’t the best idea because we run into Jay and LaF.

“Dude!”

_“SHH!”_

LaF lowers their voice. “It’s only us four and Perry left. What are you guys doing?”

Wow, really? That was fast…

“Perry’s in here, she was walking towards the other end of the -”

_“Hello, friends.”_

We all look up and gulp. It’s Perry, standing there with two swords in her hands, smirking at us and looking like Bezaleel.

Yeah, she looks that intimidating. A few seconds go by and then Jay screams. “Run!”

And boy, do we.

We sprint out of the warehouse and end up getting split up. LaF runs to the right, I run to the left, Jay runs straight ahead and Carmilla… well, she just runs into a shelf.

I’ll save you from the uh… choice words that she just yelled.

I would totally go back to help her because, _hello_ smoking hot girlfriend, but… some things are more important.

Lmao, just kidding. I totally run back for her.

I played soccer, so running’s really not an issue for me. That doesn’t mean that I’m not a bit winded.

I skid into the aisle, but she’s not there. “So much for that,” I mutter.

And then I’m running again. I make it to the front of the store where everybody else is standing in a big clump by the _Mike and Ike_ tub, sulking. “Who got you guys out?”

_The Crusaders_ all come up with a collective answer:

Perry.

I roll my eyes. Of course. “Have you guys seen LaF, Carmilla or Jay?”

“Yeah, Jay ran through here about a minute ago screaming something about how he was going to get killed by a cookie. I’m assuming he meant gingersnap, which on his twelve year old part is pretty clever,” Malorie muses.

I nod. “Okay… thanks!”

“Wait! Laura watch out!”

I turn around in time to see Perry charging at me, both of her foam swords pointed at me. I scream and pull my arms up to cover my face.

And what doesn’t come is the overwhelming and disappointing stab of complete failure, but a hard tackle and then an even harder landing on the floor.

I’m totally on top of someone and…

I take a deep breath and smile.

It’s Carmilla.

I slowly pull myself off of her and then, a slow, dopey smile making it’s way across her face. I get on my knees and grab her hand, squeezing it. “You… you took a sword for me…”

She chuckles lightly. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

We’re totally being overdramatic and it’s totally teenage-crappy-heroine-movie of us, but it’s hilarious.

...that is until I get hit in the back of the head with a box of _Hot Tamales_. _”Ow?!”_

“Get up, loser! You’re still in the game.”

“Bring it home for us, Laura!”

And then they start chanting my name, over and over and over; and, it’s not like everyone in the store wasn’t looking at us before because we’re a bunch of adults with foam swords chasing each other around at a Walmart at three in the afternoon, but now they’re really staring.

But I really don’t care.

These are the moments I live for. ‘Cause, I know that everyone else doesn’t have parents as cool as ours, and I wanna bask in that sunlight for as long as I can.

**_3:12 pm_ **

Basking in the sunlight of awesomeness? Apparently not my thing.

But apparently, it’s Jay’s thing.

‘Cause he just freakin’ won.

We’re cheering and whooping and lifting him onto our shoulders and it’s just really stupid and childish, but growing up is gross. So frick that.

We finally set him down and reach for our wallets, Perry sulking all the while. “Whadda ya want kiddo?”

I can’t really read the expression on his face, but he smiles. “Nothing. I kind of already have what I want.”

**_Three days later…_ **

“Kirsch! Would you just -”

“I’m trying, Carm! It’s not as easy as it looks!”

She grunts. “Well maybe if you weren’t so _ugly_ -”

“I am _not_ ugly! I’m a hot ass motherfucker, and what are you? Satan?”

She glares at him. “Damn right!”

_“Hey!”_

They stop and look at me, setting the couch down on the ground.

“You guys sound like idiots.” I roll my eyes. “Flip the couch _up_ and _then_ see what happens.”

And the couch makes it through the door. I smile smugly and they make faces at me, but damn do I know I’m good.

But yeah, instead of moving into college dorms at Silas, because we kind of heard that place was a little unpredictable and weird, we moved into a place called Silas Ridges. It’s a super nice apartment building though. They have a computer room, a gym, a pool and a rec room. And our three bedroom apartment is freaking _soundproofed_. I mean, it cost an extra hundred bucks a month on top of the five hundred that we’re already paying, but it’s totally worth it.

We can scream and play music and be idiots without getting in trouble for it.

_How awesome is that?_

“Alright, the damned couch is in the living room. Happy?”

I press a brief kiss to her lips. “Very. Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome.”

**_9:31 pm_ **

“Suite 307 is officially ours!” Kirsch exclaims, plopping down next to Carm and I on the couch.

We finally got everything moved in, after a large amount of bickering, hitting, swearing and sweating, but yeah… this place is now totally ours. I mean, _technically_ it’s the owner of the building’s, but we don’t have to acknowledge that. “Anyone want to order pizza?”

“Y’know, that’s just about the best idea you’ve had all day, angry nerd.”

She thumps his forehead.

“Don’t do that!” I protest.

He thumps her right back.

“Stop!”

And then they both thump me. Now they’re both laughing, which I will totally take at my expense, because they’ve been arguing since we woke up this morning. “You guys are insufferable.”

Kirsch hums. “Yeah, but you love us.”

...true.

**_10:12 pm_ **

**_Knock Knock_ **

“I got it,” I say, pushing myself off the couch. I jog over to the door and open it.

_Holy jesus freaking cheese on a cracker who the hell is this?_

“Hi, order for…” she chuckles a little. “...your mom?”

I mentally roll my eyes.

_Of course._ I clear my throat. “Uh I… y-you… um, you're really... yes,” I sputter out.

She laughs lightly. “You’re kinda cute when you stumble over your words.” She flips her hair over her shoulder and rests against the doorframe, smiling at me.

_How does she **look** like that?_

All sparkly blue eyes and perfect white teeth and intimidating smirk -

“Dude what’s taking so - _woah_.” Kirsch clears his throat. “...I think I’m straight now.”

She chuckles. “Too bad I’m not.”

_God bless America…_

“What are you numbskulls - _holy shit_.”

So yes, three eighteen year olds are scrunched around a door staring at the most beautiful pizza delivery girl in the entire universe. No question. She laughs again and I swear I think I need a cold showe -

_Wait._

Carmilla.

My smoking hot _girlfriend_.

Right, right.

I know that, it’s just… hot people sometimes make me forget that I’m supposed to breathe. Hence why I nearly passed out when Carmilla and I had our first dance at Formal.

“Uh, listen guys, I’m really flattered, but really the only thing I need is the money for this pizza and a phone number from this girl,” she says, winking at me.

Carmilla shakes her head. “Wait...okay, no -”

“What do you mean no? Come on, guys! It’s my last time working at _Domino’s_ , I just wanna take the money back, get paid and leave.”

“I _mean_ no, you can’t have _my girlfriend’s number_.”

Her eyes widen. “Oh! Hey, my bad, I didn’t know.”

Carmilla puts an arm over my shoulders protectively. “I’m sure.”

She clears her throat. “Right.. so the total comes to $21.95. Are you paying with cash or credit?”

Kirsch pulls out thirty dollars and thrusts it into her hands. “Keep the change.”

She smiles at him. “Thank you!” And then she turns to Carmilla. “Again, sorry about flirting with your girlfriend.”

“Whatever.” I elbow her in the side. “I mean, it’s fine.”

“Thanks guys and have a good night,” she says, flashing us a smile and handing Kirsch the pizzas before Carmilla slams the door.

I turn to her and glare. “Carm, why’d you do that?”

“What? So you can watch her walk away while drooling all over your pride? Nuh uh, no way, cupcake.”

I ball my fists and put them on my hips. “It’s not like you weren’t staring!”

She scoffs. “For like two seconds!”

“Okay, but -”

Wait.

I cock my head to the side and a devious smile spreads across my face.

She's glaring at me. “What?”

“You’re jealous.”

She scoffs. “As if.”

Kirsch laughs. “Oh no, dude, you were totally jealous.”

She just growls and rips the pizza boxes out of Kirsch’s hands.

**_9:35 am_ **

So, I guess it’s going to take some getting used to sleeping in a place that’s not each others, or our own houses, because we all ended up sleeping in the living room on the floor. Not really a bad thing though, considering we started a pact to start working out every morning before our classes.

Classes don’t start for another six days. Doesn’t mean we can’t get an early start.

“What in the _fuck_?”

She throws my gym bag off of her and sits up, rubbing at her eyes. “Morning, sleepy head.”

She’s pouting at me. “No.”

I really can’t help it, I lean down to kiss her. She pulls away.

And now I’m the one pouting. “What?”

“I haven’t brushed my teeth or showered yet, don’t touch me.”

I laugh at that. Like I care. She’s still adorable anyways.

**_10:23 am_ **

You know how I said Carmilla was adorable earlier?

...she totally is, don’t get me wrong but now she’s wearing spandex and my black tank top.

She just looks hot as hell.

I already fell off the treadmill once. Funny how gawking at your girlfriend who’s wearing your clothes can make you misstep just enough to tumble off of a running machine. “You’re pathetic.”

She’s laughing and I pout and cross my arms, wincing as someone dabs at the scrapes on my knees. “Nah, don’t listen to her little nerd. I would have done the same thing if Will was wearing my clothes and was all sweaty ‘cause believe it or not -”

“Okay ew!”

He laughs. “Sorry.”

Carmilla nudges me. “You gonna be okay though, Humpty Dumpty?”

Ha, with her wearing spandex?

Absolutely not.

**_The next day…_ **

_“No, L, I’m dead serious with you right now.”_

“Okay, but I’d have to check with Mrs. McDaniels because I told her I would be there this week.”

Kirsch pushes me out of the way and leans further into the view of the camera. “Hey, D-Bear!”

Oh, yeah… and that.

Kirsch has been calling Danny “D-Bear” lately. Not like it isn’t great because them getting along is something I thought would never happen, but still, it’s weird. “Shut up numbnuts, let cupcake talk.”

_“Well? Do you guys want to? Because they said we didn’t have to, it’s just their present to us.”_

_“In that case it would be rude as shit to say no.”_

Perry scoffs. _“Sweetie, watch your language, please.”_

LaF blushes. _“Sorry, love.”_

“So… what are we doing?” Carm asks.

“We’re going.”

“We’re going?”

_“We’re going?”_

I nod smoothly, like it’s the easiest decision I’ve ever had to make. “Yeah, we’re going.”

**_/   /   /_ **

Y’know, talking your boss into letting you take the entire rest of the week off work to go on a last summer roadtrip with your delinquent friends before we all start college went a lot better than I expected.

And besides, how could I not talk her into it?

We got a freaking _Mystery Machine_ , you know… the one from _Scooby Doo_? Yeah, how awesome is that?

Because apparently, Kirsch and Carm’s parents, along with my Dad and the rest of my friend’s parents thought it would be a good idea for us to go to a road trip up to my Dad and I’s old cabin. There was always too many rooms that we didn’t know what to do with, so I guess this would be nice.

“Why are you guys leaving me here?”

He says it so sadly that my heart crumbles in my chest. “Jay…”

He sighs. “No, I get it… it’s fine. I’m just gonna miss you guys.”

“Aw, come on JP, cheer up little man. We’ll be back before you know it,” Kirsch says.

Oh yeah, and I guess now calling Jay “JP” is a thing. ‘Cause, you know… Jackson Potter… JP? I mean, it works, so why not? “I just don’t want you guys to leave me.”

“Aw,” I coo. I wrap an arm around him. “We’re coming back. Besides, how could we leave you forever? You’re my little brother!”

He gives me an apathetic look. “I’m black, though.”

I scoff. “So?”

He nudges me and Carmilla puts her head in my lap. “JP, nobody cares what fucking color you are. You could be diarrhea green and I’d still tell people you were my brother.”

He smiles. “Really, Carm?”

She shrugs, indifferent. “Really.”

I press a kiss to her forehead, sweeping her hair across it. “You’re such a sap.”

A smirk curls out her lips. “Fuck off Pippi Longstocking.”

Kirsch and I bellow out a laugh at the nostalgic phrase. “And where would I be if I would have done that four years ago?”

“Probably sitting alone in your room with a tub of ice cream, watching stupid pandemic movies in your boxers.”

...probably very true. “Whatever, Carm. You’re just jealous because you never got a chance to do so.”

She scoffs. “Oh, yes. I’m crying on the inside because I never got to watch _Apocalypse LA_ with my best friend in our underwear.”

“Okay, no… you totally _wish_ I would let you see me in my underwear!”

Her mouth drops open in a smirk.

My entire face flushes. “Uh… I-I… you - I was… I didn’t mean to say that.”

Kirsch, Carmilla and Jay share a look before doubling over in laughter.

I really am never going to stop embarrassing myself, am I?

Nope, apparently not.

**_9:36 pm_ **

By unpopular request, we’re leaving right now. And by unpopular request, I don’t mean any of us, I mean our parents. But, I guess that’s understandable. Nobody wants their eighteen year old driving to a different state on a six hour drive in the middle of the night.

We honestly weren’t going to leave until tomorrow morning, but Perry made her… special brownies and her Mom ended up eating one a few minutes ago because she left a batch in the oven. So, really, we kind of have to leave now, otherwise we’d be grounded for life.

At least we can all be grounded once we get back.

But then again, maybe we’ll be fine. Perry’s Mom is kind of… well, not laid back, but she’s pretty chill and up to date on this generation, I guess you could say.

“Get in! Get in!” Perry shoo’s, pushing on Kirsch’s back.

We file into the van and I gawk at the scene before me.

There’s a black leather couch that stretches the entire inside perimeter of the van with a… I’m guessing mahogany table in the middle. And even better?

There’s blue and green lights coming from the floor, illuminating the space. Carmilla is the first to plop down on the edge of the couch. “Black leather, huh? Nice.”

She pats the spot next to her so I sit next to her, followed by Danny sitting by me, Kirsch sitting by her and so on with Jamie ending up driving. I mean, she’s out of college now, but it’d be totally rude to not invite her, especially if she knew that I was taking my best friends on a trip.

So, here we are. All of us scrunched just barely on the couch, the van sitting and purring out gas onto the near by dark lit street. “Could you hand me my bag, sweetie?” Perry asks, to which LaF just kind of looks at her bashfully.

“Sure, love.”

They reach over the couch and into the back of the van, retrieving a dark purple backpack and handing it to their girlfriend. Perry smiles at them and they blush.

I hide my face in Carmilla’s collar bone and chuckle. Those two are literally walking cavities. “I wasn’t planning on making any, but then LaFontaine insisted that we couldn’t ride in _The Mystery Machine_ without being high, so.” She smiles briefly before unzipping the last zipper on her backpack and pulling out a huge ziplock baggie of brownies. All separated by being wrapped in a sheet of wax paper.

She hands them out, one by one until everyone, including herself has one. Malorie raises her hand.

“What?” Carm asks.

“Um… I’ve only smoked a few times… am I going to be okay?”

“Of course!” Perry says excitedly. “But, just know that you really don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to. No pressure here.”

We’re all nodding in agreement. “True.”

“Pretty much.”

“Absolutely no judgement here.”

“Same.”

She nods and gives us a small smile. “Thanks, guys.”

Danny clears her throat. “Now, how about…” she raises her brownie in the air, “... we toast to us _officially_ officially being completely done with high school because we’re starting college in a few days. Also, let’s toast to Will because, even though he’s a pain in my ass… just like _someone_ I know…” she looks incredulously at Carmilla who sticks her tongue out at her, “... Will was kind of my ‘bro’ or whatever. And… I’m gonna miss him.”

We raise our pastries.

“To Will!”

There’s a pause. “To.... posterity?”

Danny sighs. “Kirsch, do you even know what that means?”

He pouts and sinks deeper into the couch. “No, but can we toast to it anyways?”

Carmilla shrugs. “I don’t see why not. Maybe they won’t end up as fucked as we all are.”

LaF chuckles. “None of us are fucked. We’re all virgins, dude.”

Kirsch, Carmilla, Malorie and Jamie all share a look. And I swear… I _swear_ they look guilty, but I can almost swear that it was probably the lighting too.

But… who knows? Maybe one of them isn’t as truthful as we thought. But that’s none of my business.

No, seriously. It’s really none of my business; people can do whatever they want with their bodies, as long as there’s consent on both ends.

But I swear, if Kirsch and Carmilla aren’t part of the ‘virgin sacrifice’ crew anymore, I’m gonna be a bit pissed that they didn’t tell me. But, they wouldn’t do that. At least… I’m _pretty_ sure they wouldn’t. “So are we toasting again or what?” Carm blurts. I give her a weird look but she just shrugs me off.

“To posterity!”

And, right about now, I feel like we don’t need to toast to posterity. It doesn’t need our luck, because I know that if anyone in this van has anything to contribute to posterity, that it’ll do beyond okay.

**_Forty five minutes later…_ **

Well, Malorie’s pretty fricked up. I mean, for the past ten minutes she’s been rambling on and on about how she thinks Carmilla is totally a vampire. And, honestly, even if we weren’t all on drugs right now, I’d still be intently listening; because… yeah, Carm totally does seem like the vampire type, right? (Do vampires _have_ types?)

But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t fricked up too. Or well… it’s only been about fifteen minutes since it started to kick in so I guess I could say that I’m not initially fricked up, but I’m getting there and that sometime in the next hour I’m really going to start feeling the effects and then I’ll be really fricked up and oh god am I forgetting to breathe?

I take a deep breath.

Breathing… check.

Super hot non supernatural girlfriend’s hand on my inner thigh?

Check.

_Wait.. what?_

I glance down (I don’t believe what I’m seeing, “Daddy it’s me, help Mommy her wrists are bleeding.”)

...Eminem?

... _anyone?_

I shake my head. Anyways, I look down and yep, sure enough… she totally has her hand on my inner thigh.

God bless this table. Otherwise, I’d never hear the end of it from Danny.

I set my phone down and look at her skeptically. “...what are you doing?”

I mean, it wouldn’t be so noticeable to me if I were wearing sweatpants or jeans, but I’m wearing cotton shorts.

Which exposes most of your legs, in case you didn’t know. So, yeah… maybe I’m freaking out a little. She sets her phone down and looks at me. “Huh?”

I glance down at her hand on my thigh and then back up at her. “Your hand is kind of… well…”

She looks down. “Oh… sorry,” she says awkwardly, bringing her hand back into her lap. “I do that sometimes.”

I frown. “What? The whole hand thingy?”

She chuckles. “Well, yeah… but it’s more… possessive, I guess. I don’t know, sorry.”

I laugh and hold her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t apologize for that.”

She looks down at the ground, a half smile on her face. She looks at me, the half smile becoming a full smile. Small, but still a smile nonetheless. “Okay.” And then she kisses me, and it’s slow and soft and… maybe a little too quick because she’s sitting back now and I feel a little alone.

I scoot back and press a kiss against her jaw. She presses one against my temple and I kind of feel all tingly.

But I’m more than sure it has nothing to do with the drugs.

**_12:31 am_ **

Did I ever tell you guys how much I love Carm?

She’s just so _pretty_. Like… seriously?

It’s like she’s photoshopped.

Beautiful eyes… full volume hair… a jawline that could cut diamonds… teeth whiter than my ass, I mean, the list just goes on and on! Like… wow. She’s _mine_ , she’s all -

...damn I’m hungry.

“You know what you guys? What if… what if the world is like a tampon. Be...because imagine! The world… is this beautiful and pure, white tampon, but… what if we’re the ones to destroy the fresh beauty? Like… we come along and just shove it so far up our ass that we claim it as ours while we’re simultaneously soiling it?”

Carmilla laughs… again, and doesn’t stop. She’s been laughing at Danny’s attempt at being poetic for the last two hours. I’m not talking chuckling… I’m talking fullass crying laughing. Even when there’s nothing to laugh at.

But I’m just really hungry.

“Danny, what the fuck?”

“Y...you look like Pepe the frog meme,” Carm chokes out between her laughter.

“...I feel like Pepe is misunderstood,” Danny says somberly.

“Pepe can eat my bleached asshole,” Malorie says, laying her head on the table.

We all look at her. “...you... bleached your asshole?” Kirsch asks, discomfort clear on his face.

Maybe that’s what Carm and I will do… y’know… as I sign of love forever. Matching bleached assholes.

I tear up a little bit.

Beautiful.

“Damn right,” she bites. “You should all invest in doing so, it feels great. The creme is so smooth.”

I groan. “Where’s the nearest store because I think I’m going to _die_ I’m so hungry.”

Jamie looks back at us briefly and then out of the windshield. “Um… there’s a Walmart in about thirty five miles.”

I glance at Carmilla, who glances at Kirsch, who glances at Malorie, who glances at LaF, who glances at Danny, who glances at Perry, who shrugs. “Ya’ll do whatever the fuck ya like.”

See, weed is great. And it’s a great day for weed. The moon is shining, Kirsch hasn’t farted once and Perry is _swearing_.

What more could I ask for?

**_12:47 am_ **

We pull into the nearly empty Walmart parking lot and park so horribly, that when I get out, I nearly give us a ticket.

No point in beating around the tree. (or is it shrub?..)

...I’m really fucked up.

We’re nearing the peak of our eight hour high and really? I’m gonna have to congratulate Perry on those brownies because _wow._

**_Buzz Buzz_ **

“Okay… what is that?”

“My phone,” Perry says, being the last one to climb out of the van.

“Are you serious? It’s been going off for two and a half - _oh_.”

I snap my head up to look at them. “What? What!?”

“It’s your Mom, isn’t it?” Carm asks, leaning against the van, trying to light a cigarette. She succeeds, after about ten seconds.

“It… it looks like you’re smoking Jupiter,” LaF says.

“Fuck Jupiter,” Perry mumbles. “Saturn’s where it’s at though. Shit be raining’ diamonds and shit.”

“Dude, what did your Mom say?!” Malorie exclaims, trying to reach into Perry’s front pocket. She slaps her hand away.

She calmly pulls out her phone, types in her password and goes into her messages. We all crowd around her, staring down at her phone.

**_Momma: 10:14 pm:_** _I hope you guys are enjoying your trip because when you get home you’re all dead :) :) :) :) love you xx_

We all take a step back and look at each other, confused. “So… is she mad or…?”

Perry chuckles. “Probably.”

We shrug it off and walk inside.

_Thirty three minutes later…_

So, in thirty three minutes, Perry managed to out rap some guy on _AutoRap_ , Malorie stole some baby lotion (which is currently stuffed in her pants), Kirsch decided that the fish weren’t ‘pretty enough’ so he threw a bath bomb into a tank, LaF accidently (and I use that term _very_ loosely) set a small fire in the bathroom, Jamie is currently still laying on the floor crying and saying that she is a green energy smoothie and that someone spilled her, I farted loudly next to a baby and she ended up crying, which got me the death glare from her parents, Danny ate two bags of chips without paying because “she’s _so_ badass”, and Carmilla... got ran over by a cart.

Which, okay, wasn’t her fault, but Kirsch and Danny insisted on having cart races, and Carm _insisted_ on laying down in the middle of the floor.

...and now we just spent $42 on groceries for our munchies.

Yeah, we need help.

And a lot of it.  

**_4:03 pm_ **

Y’know… I swore I would never eat a weed brownie again. Yet here I am, waking up with a mouth as dry as a dealer in the winter and eyes still as red as Satan. Probably from the lack of sleep, but still.

And… besides, we kind of have to go all out this week. None of us can do any drugs in college simply because of the sports we’re planning on doing. Carm and I are gonna play soccer, Kirsch is gonna play soccer and football, LaF and Perry do volleyball, Danny and Malorie run track and well… I guess Jamie can do whatever she wants, but whatever.

But yeah… pretty sure they do drug tests when you play college sports so…

Guess now is the only time. Might as well make it count, huh?

But if I’m being honest, it’s not like I _need_ drugs or anything, sometimes they’re just… nice. Not to get away from anything or to hide anything, just to heighten the feeling of awesomeness I have when I’m with my best friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

I just kind of wish that I could tell my Dad because I feel really bad about going behind his back and drinking and doing drugs and stuff. Like… there’s nothing wrong with my life. I dare say I have a perfect one, if we’re comparing it to everyone else’s. I mean… I know my Mom’s dead, but… that’s not the reason I do what I do and I can’t tell if that should worry me or not. Like… I made the choice to start doing it, not in spite of my Dad but I knew he wouldn’t approve. Shit… maybe I am a horrible person.

“Um… Laura? Are you alright?” Perry asks, causing me to snap my head up from it’s job of looking at the floor.

I shake my head, offering her and the others a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine… just thinking.”

Carmilla walks over from the kitchen and plops into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and smiling at me. “Thinkin’ bout what?”

I take a breath and make a face. “Are you drinking?”

And as if on cue, Kirsch hollers at her and then tosses her a _Mike’s Harder Lemonade_. Surprise, surprise. “Maybe.”

She knocks the top on the edge of the wooden coffee table and then takes a huge swig. “It’s four in the afternoon," I deadpan.

Carmilla laughs and places a kiss on the side of my mouth. “At least I didn’t crash on the couch at five in the morning.”

I pout. “Whatever.”

**_Two days later…_ **

**_11:56 pm_ **

****

I know it’s totally some-stupid-scene-in-a-teenage-movie of me, but I’m standing down at the dock, leaning on the wooden railing and staring at the water while everyone else is inside partying.

And right now I’m hearing footsteps, and I’m totally expecting it to be LaF or Perry or Carmilla or even Kirsch, but… no. I turn around and there’s Danny Lawrence, standing six feet two inches tall wearing nothing but a crop top and some shorts whilst holding two red solo cups.

...definitely not what I expected. “Hey.”

I nod slightly. “Hey.”

She walks over and leans on the railing next to me. We don’t talk for a few minutes, we just look at the water. That is, until, of course… she clears her throat. “Are you okay?”

I shrug. “Probably.”

She chuckles and nudges me. “Come on, Hollis. What’s up?” She nudges me again and I say nothing, that is of course until she nudges me _again_ and I let out a chuckle.

“Alright, alright,” I say through a laugh. “I just… I keep worrying about stuff.”

“Oh yeah?” she asks, taking a drink of whatever’s in her cup and handing me the other one. “Like what?”

“I don’t know… the future, I guess?” I sigh and pick a piece of chipped wood off the railing and flick it into the water before picking up my cup and taking a drink.

“What about the future?” she asks nonchalantly.

I shrug. “I don’t know. Like… what if Carm, Kirsch and I get into a fight and then we're not friends anymore? Like… how would we share an apartment? Or what about you guys? I mean, I know we’re going to the same college and everything, but what about after college? We can’t stay friends forever and -”

Danny’s laugh interrupts me. “Hollis, yes we can! Why would you think anyone would want to stop being friends with _you_?”

I smile a little. “I don’t know. I just… I don’t want to lose this,” I say, gesturing towards the lit up cabin.

Danny shakes her head, a smile on her face and puts an arm on my shoulders, steering me back towards the cabin. “Then enjoy it while you can, cause right now counts, Hollis. You of all people should know that.”

**_1:20 am_ **

I’m back on the dock now, but I’m not alone and I’m not moping.

I’m dancing with Carmilla. Nothing fancy, just kind of drifting along to the sound of the muffled music from the cabin and the sound of the water hitting the dock.

 

“Carmilla?”

She hums.

“Do you… do you think we’ll actually be friends forever?”

God, I sound like an immature idiot. “Why wouldn’t we be, creampuff?”

Huh...she hasn’t called me that in like, a year. I shake my head. “I don’t know,” I pout. “What if you decide you just don’t like me anymore?”

Carmilla pulls back and gives me a quizzical look, and then she tightens her arms around my waist. I blush.

“What?”

“You really think I could ever _not_ like you?”

I shrug. “I mean… yeah, it’s happened before. Not with you but with other people.”

Her hands are on the small of my back right now, dancing along the goosebumps she’s created there. “I would never do that to you, Laura.”

I look up at her and the look in her eyes is enough to make me cry. But I don’t.

I kiss her instead.

She pulls me closer and deepens the kiss. And my stomach feels like it’s on fire.

I bring a hand up and cup her cheek before flicking my tongue over her bottom lip. She opens her mouth just enough for me to slip my tongue in and lets out a whimper when I do.

I decide I like that sound. And when she pulls away, her eyes just slightly darker and her breathing a little uneven, I smile. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

She shakes her head. “What?”

I laugh. Point proven.

“Come on, let’s go back inside,” I say lightly, grabbing her hand and pulling her back towards the cabin. I look back at her and she’s frowning.

“But… then I can’t kiss you.”

I chuckle. “There’s these _really_ cool things called doors with locks on them, Carm.”

She scoffs. “I’m more than sure that the rest of the dimwit squad would find a way to interrupt us, cupcake.”

...I guess we’ll see.

**_1:47 am_ **

You know something?

...making out with your girlfriend for twenty minutes non stop totally makes your lips numb. And I guess it doesn’t matter, ‘cause hopefully I won’t feel them when they bruise. I mean, of course I know I will but a girl can hope, can’t she?

_I only call you when it’s half past five_

__

_The only time that I’d ever call you mine_

__

_I only love it when you touch me, not feel me_

__

_When I’m fucked up that’s the real me_

__

_When I’m fucked up that’s the real me, yeah_

We pull back with a start and I stare down the source of the insufferable sound. “Okay…” I drawl out. “Two questions. Exactly _why_ do you have an alarm set for almost two a.m, and… you listen to _The Weeknd_?”

She removes her hands from under my shirt and sighs. “ _The Weeknd_ is musical genius.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What about my other question?”

She bites her lips and looks down at her hands, playing with them nervously. “Um… you know… sometimes you get nightmares at this time so I uh…” she clears her throat, “... I set an alarm so that I can check on you to make sure you’re okay, or whatever.”

I look at her, my eyes full of adoration.

“I think you’re honestly the best thing to ever happen to me,” I say truthfully, giving her a shy smile.

It’s totally true.

She smiles a little and looks at me bashfully. “Nah, I think it’s the other way around.”

And by the way she says it, I know she means it and it makes my heart clench tightly in my chest. Maybe it’s just because this is my first real relationship or because it’s Carmilla, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in my life.

_“Laura! Carmilla! Stop eating each other for like two seconds and come downstairs. We’re skyping with Will!”_

I look at her and lean in to kiss her, my smirk getting wider when she flutters her eyes closed. I move my mouth to her ear. “...race you.”

And then I’m jumping off the bed and running downstairs.

**_Four days later…_ **

So. We got back from our trip about five minutes ago. It’s currently 1:51 pm and we’re standing in Perry’s living room, watching her Mom pace around the room, clenching and unclenching her fists. She’s turned to us a few times, pointed finger, red face, you know… all that, but she always ends up sighing and going back to pacing.

She whips around suddenly, her finger still pointy as ever. We wince, and for a second I swear she’s going to drop the f bomb. “F… frick. I… am not going to kill you guys,” she says finally and we all let out a breath. “But! I am going to punish you.”

...fair enough.

**_/   /   /_ **

We end up having to do the ice bucket challenge, which you think wouldn’t be so bad, but _no_. Mrs. Perry couldn’t make it easy. We had to each do it twice. _And_ she recorded it.

But it’s totally okay because no one else knows and I’m at my house with Carm and Kirsch and we’re trying to stuff popcorn in my Dad’s nose while he’s sleeping. “No man, you have to put it head first,” Kirsch whispers.

“...not the first time I’ve heard that.”

Carmilla and I snicker.

I reach back into the popcorn bowl and pull out another piece. I bring it up to his nose and gently try pushing it in but all of a sudden he jumps. And I swear he yells something that sounds like “horf horf” because the three of us are literally _dying_. I don’t think we’ve ever laughed so hard in our lives.

“Oh yes, real mature you guys.”

Once we gain our composure we tackle him into the couch with a group hug. “Love you!”

He struggles and pushes us off of him with a laugh. “I’m sure.”

**_Ring Ring_ **

****

**_Ring Ring_ **

****

I frown and pull my phone out of my pocket. I look at who’s calling and smile. “Mrs. McDaniels?”

_“Laura hello. And please, call me Beca.”_

I nod and clear my throat. “Right, of course.”

_“Anyways! I was wondering if you’re back from your trip yet? Because there’s this new girl starting today and I would love if you would be able to come over to the office and help her with the basics.”_

I smile. “I’d love to! But… is it okay if I bring my friends and my Dad?”

She chuckles. _“Of course it is. See you in a bit!”_

And then she hangs up.

I look at the people in front of me and give them a sheepish smile. “So…”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming.”

**_3:08 pm_ **

The four of us go right on up to the fifth floor, and I use my passkey to get in through the main doors into all the offices. I get Mrs. McDa - _Beca’s_ office and knock twice.

 

“Come in!”

I twist the lock and push the door open. And two faces look at us, one wearing a bright smile and the other… well, her smile is faltering.

As is mine.

It’s _her_. The pizza girl goddess. “Laura, Carmilla, Kirsch, Mr. Hollis, this is Josie. She’s Laura’s new assistant.”

A few moments pass.

Carmilla speaks up. “Oh, hell no.”

Yeah…

I’m screwed.

**Author's Note:**

> ...what did ya'll think? I'm totally up for any kind of feedback and ideas for the next fic(s) ;) Seriously, give me ideas! I have most of this planned out, but that doesn't mean I can't add things in :) btw sorry about the mistakes in here.


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